Climate Change : Consensus Reports

The division produces 60-70 reports per year. These reports are unique, authoritative expert evaluations. Each report is produced by a committee of experts selected by the Academy to address a particular statement of task and is subject to a rigorous, independent peer review. The experts who volunteer their time participating on study committees are vetted to make sure that the committee has the range of expertise needed to address the task, that they have a balance of perspectives, and to identify and eliminate members with conflicts of interest. All reports undergo a rigorous, independent peer review to assure that the statement of task has been addressed, that conclusions are adequately supported, and that all important issues raised by the reviewers are addressed. Thus, while the reports represent views of the committee, they also are endorsed by the Academy.

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Transformative research drives science forward by redefining entire fields of study, forming new research communities, and even launching new industries. Such research brings great rewards, but also carries risks for funding agencies that are challenged to identify, at their earliest stages, those projects that have the potential to yield transformative results. By reviewing how transformative research emerged in the past, the report identifie...
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Graywater and stormwater capture and use can expand local water availability while providing additional benefits, such as reduced water pollution (for stormwater) and a drought-resistant year-round water supply (for graywater). Treatment can help address contaminants in the water, but a lack of risk-based treatment guidelines hinders the broader use of stormwater and graywater, this report finds. There is no single best way to use graywater o...
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Drawing on lessons learned from a proof-of-concept analysis, this report proposes that the Federal Emergency Management Agency develop a microsimulation model--which will use a database of records for individual policyholders and property owners to mimic how policy decisions might affect those individuals--to simulate the effects of different National Flood Insurance Program affordability policy options. The report also notes, however, that som...
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The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) needs to modify its regulations and planning in order to strengthen preparedness for accidental spills of diluted bitumen from pipelines. Diluted bitumen is a type of crude oil made from bitumen extracted from tar sands. While immediately following a spill, diluted bitumen behaves similarly to other crude oils, exposure to the environment induces rapid physical and chemical changes known as "weathering...
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This report reviews the Landscape Conservation Cooperatives Network, which was initiated by the Department of the Interior and aims to address the widely recognized national need for a landscape approach to conservation. The Network includes 22 regional cooperatives tasked to build partnerships that facilitate collaborations across jurisdictional boundaries, develop shared priorities and common science needs, and create conservation strategie...
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